NHS England hands down legal directions to island CCG

Commissioners told to develop “clinical and financial sustainability plan” by February

CCG struggling to deliver savings worth 6 per cent of allocation

NHS England has issued legal directions to a clinical commissioning group that is struggling to deliver its savings plan.

Isle of Wight CCG has been instructed to develop a “clinical and financial sustainability plan” by February and a “capability and capacity review” must also be commissioned.

It comes a month after Helen Shields, the CCG’s chief officer, announced she will retire in February.

The £210m budget CCG, which is forecasting to break even this financial year, is struggling to deliver savings worth £12.9m – 6 per cent of its allocation.

Its December governing body papers report an “unmitigated risk” to the year end position of £2.2m.

The savings target for 2017-18 is nearly three times higher than the level usually achieved, the papers said.

Extra help has been commissioned by NHS England, which will see South, Central and West Commissioning Support Unit work with the CCG for 160 days.

The CSU will help the CCG achieve and identify more savings opportunities, the papers added.

Under the legal directions, which came into effect this week, the CCG must commission a capability and capacity review within six weeks, and subsequently submit an “organisational plan” within four weeks to deliver on the findings.

The sustainability plan must show how the CCG will operate within its budget for 2018-19 and “subsequent financial years”.

Local managers are currently working through options for a redesign of acute services on the island with recommendations expected in early February.

The directions will be in place for 12 months unless they are varied or revoked by NHS England.

The Isle of Wight Trust has made its interim chief a permanant appointment.

The trust, which was placed in special measures earlier this year, hired Maggie Oldham in May as an interim, but she has been appointed as the permanent chief executive - the trust announced on Friday.

Ms Oldham, who was part of the leadership team at Mid Staffordshire Hospital after the care failings were exposed, said: ”Time has flown by since I joined the trust on an interim basis in May.”

”While I recognise the challenges facing healthcare services across the island are significant I have been made extremely welcome, and I remain immensely impressed by the commitment and determination that our staff have shown to improve the services we provide for our community.”

Article updated at 2.29pm on 8 December after Isle of Wight Trust announced Maggie Oldham’s appointment.

The failings of the Care Quality Commission in applying the fit and proper person test to a disgraced trust chief executive were so severe the Parliamentary health watchdog has fears of “systemic injustice”.